The ancient deity, the majestic temple.
There, beneath the throne representing absolute divine authority.
Hera, who had descended from the golden throne, arrived before Jason.
And Jason had also come here step by step from the very bottom.
At this moment, the two stood in the middle of the path leading to that divine seat.
By now, Athena's goal had actually been achieved.
After going through all those various events, Hera had let go of her hatred for Jason in her heart and had come down from that lofty divine seat to stand before him.
And Jason, through his own efforts, had obtained Hera's understanding and had made his way all the way to stand before Queen Hera.
A result had arrived between the two, but... it was not entirely complete.
Just like this very moment, as they stood midway between the divine seat and the ground.
Jason had not truly reached the divine seat, and Hera had not fully descended from it.
Because Hera wanted Jason to leave Hecate and Hephaestus and come to her side.
But regarding this point, it was equally Jason's firm bottom line.
Jason sighed lightly, then slowly lowered the golden dagger in his hand... under Hera's unwavering gaze.
In response, Jason could not help but smile wryly: "Goddess Hera, there is no need for you to be like this. I have already told you that I am actually a very timid and fearful person.
Now, I probably lack the courage to plunge the dagger into myself again."
In reply to Jason's defense, Hera rolled her eyes at him.
Though his words were true, Hera would not believe them in the slightest.
"...Did it hurt?"
Hera fell silent for a moment before asking Jason softly.
Jason thought for a bit and nodded honestly: "It hurt, but it does not matter now. The God of the Abyss Tartarus has already lifted the curse for me."
"Silly child." Hera sighed helplessly and said: "You truly refuse to leave them even a little and come to me?"
"I am sorry, Goddess Hera."
On this point alone, Jason showed utmost resolve, shaking his head at Hera: "Hecate Teacher and Hephaestus Teacher have helped and looked after me all along the way. To make amends to you, Goddess Hera, I am willing to listen to anything you say, but regarding this matter... I must respectfully decline!"
"That is quite the coincidence then."
Hera laughed and said: "Right now, I want nothing else. I only wish to snatch you back from those two!"
"It seems this dagger cannot be returned today after all."
Jason said helplessly, preparing to put the dagger away.
But Hera suddenly reached out and pressed down on his hand.
"Give it here."
"Eh?" Jason blinked at Hera.
"I do not feel at ease leaving it with you."
Hera said to Jason with an expressionless face.
Jason paused, looking at the Hera before him.
Then he lifted his gaze to the throne above, the ground below, and finally back to Hera before him.
With a gentle smile, he did not hand the dagger to Hera but instead withdrew it.
Under Hera's slightly stunned and puzzled gaze.
"I will surely return it to you, noble Goddess Hera."
This dagger stemmed from the promise between Jason and Hera.
It represented Hera's trust in and affection for Jason, and at the same time, her hatred toward him.
The reason Jason now sought to return the dagger to Hera was precisely because only by doing so would it signify that Hera had let go of her hatred for him.
But at this moment, Jason suddenly realized that if he returned the dagger now, what Hera would take back along with it would also be her trust and affection for him.
Because he had only made it halfway and had not truly stepped to the side of the divine seat.
"You are right, Goddess Hera. I have indeed been far too greedy, seeking to gain everything from you without offering anything in return.
Thus, Goddess Hera, I hope to make a new promise with you."
Hera said nothing, looking at Jason before her.
"Up to now, I have yet to offer you, noble queen, my humble tribute, have I?"
Hera understood, only to hear Jason continue: "Goddess Hera, I will prepare a tribute for you, one to your liking, with all my effort!
And at that time, I hope you will accept it as your return gift to me."
Offering you a tribute, solely to obtain your forgiveness, goddess...
Hera's expression shifted slightly, her eyes reflecting Jason's visage.
After a long while, she smiled helplessly.
She nodded gently and said: "Very well, I can make a new promise with you.
But... I will take back this dagger, yet not take it back."
Hera continued: "I will take it first, then... truly bestow it upon you as a gift."
Back then, the greater reason Hera had given the dagger to Jason was because she wanted the white-robed Heracles to inflict endless curses upon him.
But now, it had become a gift.
It represented her release.
And one thing must be mentioned: now, Hera already had a psychological shadow regarding this dagger... especially when it was in Jason's hands.
Hera probably could not refuse any request Jason made while holding it.
"However... It must be a tribute I acknowledge."
Then, Hera added, her golden eyes fixed on the hero before her. Her gaze gradually softened, carrying a faint smile as she said: "Child, are you certain you can offer me such a tribute?
I can tell you without hesitation that the difficulty of making me set aside this prejudice and give up competing with Hecate and Hephaestus for you.
Is not low at all."
"I will do my utmost and surely achieve it!"
As Jason's words echoed in this ancient temple.
This matter, after such a long time, finally welcomed a temporary conclusion.
Although the dagger remained on Jason's person and had not been returned to Hera, Jason could now fully breathe a sigh of relief.
Because the heavy pressure weighing on him, making it hard to breathe, had finally lessened by a portion.
He had borne this pressure for many years.
It had begun back then, in the temple of the goddess of agriculture Demeter, when he refused Hera and chose Hecate, and it had continued all the way to today.
Queen Hera... The weight of those four words had kept Jason from sleeping peacefully on countless nights.
And Hera, too, let out a sigh of relief.
The development of events to this point had similarly exceeded Hera's expectations.
In truth, looking at it now, Athena had undoubtedly succeeded.
Her scheming had caused Hera to fall in love with Jason once more... not the white-robed Heracles, but Jason himself, whom she had hated.
This was also the reason for Hera's such intense reaction, fleeing directly from the small island and returning home to weep bitterly.
Because in that moment, when she saw Jason plunge the dagger into his heart.
Hera had originally believed that everything truly could not be reversed, that she had no further possibility of seeing Jason or obtaining him.
Who would have thought that events would take such a turn.
But after this incident, Hera's desire to obtain Jason not only did not dissipate but instead... grew even stronger!
At present, aside from Athena, she was probably the second goddess who most wished to snatch Jason away from Hecate and Hephaestus and claim him for herself.
And then...
In the blink of an eye, three days passed just like that.
After three days, Jason was forcibly taken away from Hera's temple by the exasperated Hephaestus.
And Hera's temple had already regained its vitality that very day, with the numerous nymphs who had been driven away returning as well.
The second-generation queen Rhea was among them, smiling as she watched Hera and Hephaestus glaring at each other with big eyes and small eyes, neither willing to yield, vying for Jason.
Back then, Athena had asked Rhea why she insisted on having her mediate the relationship between Hera and Jason.
Rhea had given various reasons at the time, and one of them actually concerned Hephaestus and Hera.
The relationship between this mother and daughter had reached a point of irreconcilable antagonism, impossible to mend, causing Rhea headaches for an unknown length of time.
In fact, back then, the ocean goddess Thetis, Hephaestus's foster mother, who had happened to pick her up and raised her to this day, could not possibly have been a coincidence.
Behind the scenes, it was actually the result of Rhea secretly seeking her help.
Later, Hephaestus's return to the Olympian temple was similarly due to Rhea's covert assistance.
Thetis was precisely the first and original ocean goddess in Greek mythology.
In the early myths, she was even a goddess in her own right.
Please note, do not confuse her with 'Thetis,' the mother of Achilles.
The relationship between this mother and daughter had already deteriorated to an extremely dire state, nearly irreparable, to the point that Rhea had considered giving up.
But just then, she discovered Jason.
Although the two of them, because of Jason, were now glaring at each other in anger, quarreling incessantly.
But this was still better than them refusing to see each other at all, pretending the other did not exist.
Moreover, Rhea believed that Jason would not simply stand by and ignore the situation.
This child, who never disappointed anyone, would surely one day give her a surprise!
Not long after Hephaestus took Jason away...
"You are leaving already?"
Seated in her wheelchair, Hephaestus, whose features resembled Hera's by seven parts, with her soft golden hair draped over her left shoulder, looked at Jason, who was preparing to bid her farewell, with reluctance. Pouting, she said: "You are willing to stay with that scoundrel, but you will not stay a bit longer with me?"
"Ahem, Teacher, of course I am willing to stay with you. I do not even want to go anywhere!
But as you know, I truly cannot linger too long."
Jason replied to Hephaestus with a wry smile: "I have already been away for nearly twenty days. If I do not return soon, I truly do not know what has become of them on the Argo..."
"Hmph, it is just a tribute for Athena, is it? You care so much!"
Hephaestus turned her head away, appearing quite unhappy.
Seeing this, Jason was at a loss for words.
In truth, Hephaestus did not mind the matter of the tribute to Athena at all; if she did, she would have said so last time.
Her current display of petulance was ultimately because of Hera.
Athena was merely collateral.
Jason was well aware in his heart of the irreconcilable antagonism between Hephaestus and Hera; he had known it for a long time.
However, even knowing this, it was evidently something he could not say.
Thus, helplessly, he came to Hephaestus's side, squatted down, and coaxed her: "Hephaestus Teacher, you know as well that the crew on the Argo followed me after receiving my letters.
You cannot want your student to become an irresponsible scoundrel, leading them halfway and then running off alone, can you?
If I truly did that, Teacher, you would be the one disappointed instead, would you not?"
"I am not like that fellow Athena. Jason, as long as you are happy, I do not mind how you do things."
Hephaestus replied without the slightest hesitation.
Hearing this, Jason's lips naturally curved upward a few degrees.
Fortunately, he quickly realized that he had once again been unwittingly teased by Hephaestus Teacher...
"Hephaestus Teacher, offering a tribute to a noble goddess should be done with sincerity in the first place. Moreover... Do you not also like the tributes I have given you, Hephaestus Teacher?
Could it be that Hephaestus Teacher actually does not like them and thinks they are crude and hastily made?"
With that, Jason put on an injured expression.
This frightened Hephaestus into hurriedly grabbing Jason's hand and reassuring him repeatedly that she had no such intention.
Seeing this, Jason delivered a finishing blow, leaning close to Hephaestus's ear and whispering softly: "Moreover, Hephaestus Teacher, you know that among my three teachers, right now, only you have received a tribute from me. Hecate Teacher and Chiron Teacher have not yet..."
As soon as these words were out, Hephaestus instantly smiled, her mood lifting.
Seeing that he had finally coaxed the goddess Hephaestus into a good mood, no longer sulking, Jason could not help but let out a long sigh of relief.
Then Jason noticed someone watching him, turned his head, and discovered the goddess of beauty Aphrodite, who had arrived here at some unknown point.
At this moment, she was looking at Jason with an exceedingly peculiar gaze...
Subsequently...
"Child, you are quite skilled at handling Hephaestus like this."
The goddess of beauty whispered secretly to Jason.
"Goddess Aphrodite, I did not..."
Jason was preparing to explain to Aphrodite.
"Do not rush to explain. I mean nothing by it. It is just that... Jason, could you teach me how to make Hephaestus happy?"
The goddess of beauty Aphrodite blinked at Jason.
Instantly, Jason's expression toward Aphrodite became peculiar.
Goddess Aphrodite, could it be that you... truly wish to become my stepmother?
Jason looked at the goddess of beauty Aphrodite before him, then at Hephaestus not far away. Suddenly, he felt that the atmosphere in the temple...
Had become subtly charged!